Student tackles imminent issue facing electric-car drivers

Electric cars are cool and all, but as their popularity increases drivers could be facing some serious queues in front of the chargers. Rotterdam School of Management student Angelos Tsereklas-Zafeirkis has come up with an awesome solution and has been awarded with this year's KPMG-RSM Sustainability Master Thesis Award.

Angelos Tsereklas-Zafeirkis' research addresses the imminent problem of peak-time congestion at electric vehicle charging stations. Just like morning traffic jams, neighbours and colleagues will compete to use electric car charging facilities.

He makes use of an app to gather data on the behaviour of users of electric cars. This data can be used as input into the design of charging systems to reduce peak congestion.

The jury commended Tsereklas-Zafeirkis for the methodology he used in his research: 'His research is a great combination of literature study, hardcore data-analysis, and financial modelling based on new primary data on consumer behaviour gained through an app. We believe this is the way forward for students: apply the technology you use on a daily basis in your research and work.'

What kind of contest are we talking about?

Every year, auditing company KPMG honours research conducted by RSM master's students in the field of sustainability. The winning thesis best exemplifies academic excellence, business relevance, originality, and environmental or social impact. A total of 60 theses qualified for this year's competition, with a shortlist of five submitted to the jury for final evaluation.

The MSc graduate was presented the award at the RSM Sustainability Forum 2017, hosted by Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University (RSM) on 31 March 2017. The runner-up was Florian Böhm for his thesis on sustainability and the farming of quinoa.